Revisions
by Audrey K
Summary: Last minute changes to their senior musical finds a jilted Troy seeing a former friend through new eyes.
1. Chapter 1

Troy sat at the edge of his bed, head in hands, fingertips rubbing furiously against his temples, willing the dull aching just behind his lids to fade away. It had to be a mistake- she didn't really mean what she'd said, _did she_? How can a person run out of goodbyes? Gabriella was just going through a phase and she'd call back later that evening and inform him that this wasn't really the end of their relationship. Maybe she'd gotten cold feet- totally understandable and forgivable in his book.

But what if her argument was genuine? That meant his first _real _love was gone.

The familiar burning sensation of unshed tears stung at the corners of his eyes.

"… fuck" he mumbled to himself, digging the balls of his feet into the carpet as he let his back collide against the coolness of his bedspread.

Just then his cell phone rang somewhere from within the dark crevice it had found its way into after he'd chucked the metal object clear across his bedroom hours earlier.

He sighed heavily, placing both forearms across his face in a bid to block out the noise and maybe even the world.

Several minutes passed and the gadget once again sounded off with a fresh batch of offending musical notes piercing through the walls of his chamber.

"Are you fucking _kidding_ me?" he exclaimed, a burst of white-hot anger suddenly causing him to jump to his feet and briskly stomp over to the messy corner nearest his desk.

Swiping his hand over the floor, he ruthlessly whipped scattered articles of clothing to the side, letting out harsh whispers of obscenities under his breath. He didn't feel like talking, but the culprit behind the series of never-ending calls was unrelenting.

"What!" he practically growled into the receiver, having snatched the mobile device from behind a leg of his chair.

"Oh, um…" a soft, clearly flustered voice spoke.

"Gabriella?"

Troy's heart skipped a beat.

Across town inside the Evans estate, a petite blonde sat atop a round silk fuchsia ottoman, hair tossed carelessly in a loose top knot, a slightly oversize white tee and pink plaid pajama bottoms tamed down the girl's usual flamboyant daytime ensembles.

She'd called Troy to go over last-minute revisions to their lines for the school play, just two days shy of its opening night.

His hopeful tone upon thinking the caller was Gabriella left her crestfallen. 'If I'd been her, I would have said 'Hola!' the seventeen year old silently chastised. At long last it seemed as though things were finally going her way. A return of an imaginary crown was being restored to its rightful owner was how she viewed the series of events that had unfolded in the last two weeks.

"It's Sharpay. I was just wondering if… Well, never mind" her voice trailed off in an odd way. She grimaced instantly at the sound of her dejected inflection, hating that she came across weak.

He winced, pinching the bridge of his nose before releasing. Although she was the last person he wanted to speak with at the moment, he was still able to realize through the haze that his initial tone had been out of character.

"What is it?" he inquired, still irritated but doing his best to fake pleasantry.

"No really. You're obviously busy. It can wait until tomorrow."

"It's fine. I'm not busy- what'd you want?"

He ventured back over to his bed, taking residence upon the soft mattress once more.

"I'm sorry. I thought you was someone else when I first picked up."

The apology was met with an awkward silence.

"Besides, we're already on the phone… you might as well ask now" he offered.

"Okay. I just got back from a meeting with Ms. Darbus and she and I noticed some flaws in the script. Revisions have been made to scene four, act two. It's not a lot of changes, I promise. Either way, I'd like to drop off the pages tonight so you can be ready for rehearsal tomorrow."

"… if that's okay" she added as a slight plea to her closing argument.

"This can't wait until tomorrow? I'll see you in the morning and you could give it to me then."

Once again intense quiet loomed, which Troy quickly noted the delay was likely a signal of the blonde not finding this option favorable.

"Fine, Sharpay. C'mon over. I'm here."

"Great, see you soon!" she quickly chirped before clicking down on the screen of her pink rhinestone studded phone.

She looked herself over in the mirror, concluding that if she let her hair down in long waves and traded her current sweatpants in for black skinny jeans and adorned a loose soft pink trench coat over her white tee, her appearance would be acceptable attire for a brief public outing after 9pm.

'_Who are you kidding, Evans? Troy Bolton doesn't care what you wear- he's certainly not looking at you that way'_ the incessant nagging voice in her head agonized. Without further adieu, she willed the negativity into silence and collected her belongings to make her way to the suburb where the object of her long-unrequited affections lived.

* * *

Troy lay face down on his bed, both hands tucked under his chin as he contemplated what he'd say to Gabriella when she undoubtedly called back to make amends. He'd tell her everyone gets scared about the future, but that he wasn't going anywhere- that he'd wait for her. Already he'd been seriously looking into attending UC Berkeley, even going so far as to send in a late admissions application under the radar of his own parents. It was a long-shot, but any day now he expected to receive word from the university on the status of his pending request. Sure, he didn't have the best grades but he was an All-Star athlete, top ranked in the state of New Mexico in addition to being active and well-liked in the community, and figured that _had_ to count for something. He prayed they said yes. Then everything would fall into place for him where he and Gabriella could start the next chapter of their lives together.

His thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell ringing. He'd forgotten Sharpay was stopping by, having become wholly consumed by his inner turmoil.

Grabbing what he could recall to be the cleanest pair of sweatpants within arms' reach and pulling the fleece material up over his athletic legs, he padded barefoot to the banister, treading down the steps until his feet met the cold tiling of his parent's foyer.

He swung open the front door, his clear blue eyes colliding with the amber gaze belonging to East High's Prima-Donna.

"Hey" he greeted, stepping aside to afford her room to step into the house. He caught a slight whiff of prominent fruit-infused body product, noting the pleasantly unique scent, before closing the door and flicking the lock back in place.

"So here they are" she hurriedly announced, skipping an exchange of pleasantries, recalling his earlier scathing tongue. She produced a hot pink folder, Troy's eyebrows rising in slight amusement at the loopy cursive spelling out of his name that she'd labeled with black Sharpie.

"Not a lot of changes, eh?" he mused, riffling through the dozen new pages of dialogue he was to have memorized by tomorrow afternoon.

"See? Just like I told you!" Sharpay reasoned, mistaking his sarcasm.

"Yeah..." he softly chuckled. It felt good to laugh given his rough afternoon.

"Do you need help with any of the lines now while I'm here?"

"I mean…" he reached up to scratch at the back of his neck, not sure how to kindly eject the blonde from his home, knowing she wouldn't back down on going over at least some of the new material right then.

He looked up to catch the slight pout already forming and caved to her unvoiced displeasure.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go over some lines."

"Fabulous!" she beamed, following his extended arm pointing her to the living room.

"Your parents won't mind?" she asked, noting the late hour on a school night.

"Nah, they're out to dinner with our neighbors. Besides, we shouldn't be too long, yeah?"

"Well _that_ Troy, all depends on your commitment to the art this evening" Sharpay challenged, looking him square in the eye so he knew she meant to use their time wisely.

Oftentimes during their after-school rehearsals she got the distinct feeling Troy's thoughts were elsewhere. Although he recited the words correctly, she couldn't deny that his heart simply did not appear to be in the moment. Sharpay knew she couldn't very well _demand_ him to sell the believability- that being a skill which either came naturally or was fine-tuned until mastered. However, she found herself experiencing an all-too-familiar pang in her chest, the yearning, for him to connect with her. They lacked the spark, that "it" factor she begrudgingly admitted was present whenever a certain raven haired Latina was in his presence.

The two made their way down two small steps that led into the moderately expansive Bolton living room. Sharpay took a seat across from Troy who carelessly flung his limbs across the 'L' shape couch tucked between a plush love seat and weathered recliner.

"Where do we start?" Troy implored, halfheartedly glancing at the lines, not truly focusing on the words, his mind still preoccupied- on ebony curls and mocha skin.

"Most of the changes are to our last duet."

She chewed on her bottom lip, assessing the best route for an effective session.

"You know what? I'll just sing it first and then we can bring you in on the second chorus."

Sharpay straightened her already prim posture, humming the opening chords softly under her breath. She closed her eyes, began a light tapping of her index finger against the bare flesh of her thighs to keep beat, opened her mouth and began to sing.

"_Ooo, yeah, ooh, yeah"_

Upon her melodic utterance, Troy's looked pointedly in her direction. He took notice of a distinct shift in her demeanor, a softness perhaps. He blinked hard, finding his cluttered mind slowly but surely beginning to clear.

"_I gotta lot of things, I have to do  
All these distractions, our future's coming soon "_

He swallowed a lump that had somehow lodged in his throat, feeling himself tip a bit further into an alluring state of transfixion as her clear soprano echoed throughout the room.

"_We're being pulled, a hundred different directions  
But whatever happens, I know I've got you"_

While drawing out the word _"you" _she opened her eyes- honeyed orbs connecting with an intense azure stare that suddenly unnerved her.

Was her voice flat? She refused to believe she was singing off-key. Shaking off his piercing gaze, she continued.

"_It doesn't matter where we are  
We'll be alright, even if we're miles apart"_

She smiled softly, pointing in his direction to note the next batch of verse were the beginning of Troy's new lines,

"_All, I wanna do, is be with you, be with you"_

Moving her pointer finger back and forth, indicating it was the two of them meant to sing the upcoming words, she swayed her shoulders back and forth. Troy smiled gently at this, casting his eyes downward as he felt calming warmth spread from within.

"_There's nothing we can do_

_I just wanna be with you_

_No matter where life takes us, nothing can break us apart_

_I just wanna be with… you."_

Without ceasing her tapping, only changing the effectiveness by using the flat pad of her hand against the cushion, Sharpay spoke.

"Now you come in with the next line- top of page three."

Troy heard her request, but physically failed to turn the page. He was content to allow Sharpay to finish the song, surprising even himself in how much he was enjoying her ability. Many times prior he'd listened to her perform, but tonight was like a veil had been lifted. Simply put, it was music to his ears.

"Troy? Top of page three!" her voice boomed, snapping him back into the present.

Awkwardly he fumbled with the paper in his lap, quickly finding the line.

"_You know how life can be, it changes over night"_ he crooned.

"_The sun even raining, but it's alright"_ Sharpay added, nodding her head in appreciation that he didn't break character upon their voices becoming joined.

"_A friend like you"_ her vibrato rose, causing Troy's stomach to do a small flip flop.

"_Always makes it easy"_ they both recited.

"_I know that you get me"_ Troy used his left hand to place his hand across his heart, like they'd practiced under Ms. Darbus' tutelage. Impressed, a massive grin spread across Sharpay's features, leading Troy to offer up one of his infamous winks.

Sharpay felt a blush creep to her visage and lowered her eyes, pretending to concentrate on the pages in front of her, although she'd already memorized both parts.

"_Every time  
Through every up, through every down,  
You know I'll always be around  
Through anything, you can count on me!"_

"Then, we repeat the chorus three times to the group finale" Sharpay concluded.

"Nice…" Troy drawled, wanting to appear aloof, though his newest inner monologue no longer read confused heartache over Gabriella. All thoughts were entirely directed upon the lithe blonde in front of him.

* * *

Acquaintances since pre-school, Troy and Sharpay had known one another almost fifteen years. They'd attended birthday parties for the other in their youth, but each found their respective cliques once junior high commenced. Troy focused on sports, which quickly had him climbing the social ladder while Sharpay took interest in theater- spending her free time enrolled in various private lessons, immersing herself in the arts, all factors that led into the natural parting ways of the two.

By the time high school came around, they couldn't _be_ on more opposite ends of the spectrum- their differences often the main cause of constant, colorful bickering.

He frowned at the realization that the same characteristics he'd viewed as shortcomings against Sharpay that ultimately drove him away- being different, are what he openly welcomed and even went to great lengths to fight against when it came to Gabriella. Overall it felt a bit hypocritical- to fault Sharpay while finding ways to defend others for the very same thing under different circumstances. His guilt over their former friendship played a large part in Troy not immediately ushering her out.

As the night progressed, he'd gone so far as to offer light snacks and presented her with a bottle of iced tea from the fridge- noting that she favored the herbal refreshment the summer prior at Lava Springs Country Club.

They rehearsed the song for another hour until Sharpay began to yawn before neatly arranging her papers into a magenta 3-ring binder in a silent demonstration of her departure.

"Your parents sure do know how to party" she playfully chastised, noting the 10:50pm time stamp flashed across her cell phone as she tossed the sparkly device into her vibrantly colored leather designer handbag.

"They can get a little rowdy when they want to" Troy smirked.

"Great job tonight" Sharpay moved aside so Troy could unlock the door, her body tensing- readying for the brisk New Mexico air, having grown accustomed to the warm confines of the Bolton household.

"Yeah, you too…" Troy leaned his upper body over her form, his face dangerously close to her left shoulder. The sweet fragrance of berries once again filled his nostrils. He inhaled deeper, inadvertently biting his lower lip.

"Well, good night…"

Sharpay could feel the heat from his body invading her personal space. Normally she'd sneer at the culprit who dared invade her bubble, but with Troy she dropped her defenses, not-so-secretly craving the close proximity.

"Good night" Troy whispered, his firm chest not yet straightening to offer her room to vacate the premises.

He took in the plumpness of her soft pink lips, so inviting and round- noting a freckle in the center of her top lip that he'd never noticed before. It was beautiful, much like the rest of her porcelain-like face.

He was plummeting, falling further into a deep trance.

And then, without warning, his lips were on hers.

In a flutter of soft gasps, Troy's hand that had been on the doorknob quickly retracted, now taking residence upon the nape of her neck, pulling her face closer.

Total abandon found the two instantly gripping one another tight. Sharpay whimpered into his open mouthed kiss when his tongue seductively moved back and forth over hers. He pressed her firmly against the cherry wood door, groaning low in his throat at the feel of her ample chest flattening against his.

Sharpay dropped her bag, an unceremonious _'plop'_ echoing through the entryway. Her manicured nails scaled up the back of Troy's head, tightly gripping the silken locks of shaggy hair, causing him to cry out against her mouth. His reaction to the slightly violent act was to grind his pelvis against her denim-clad front, creating a friction that made her core burn with wanton desire- a moist heat beginning to pool at the juncture between her thighs.

A need to slow down was lost on the duo. Their coy, seemingly harmless flirtation had worked both into a dire state of need. Troy abandoned lingering doubts, wanting to will away the demons that plagued him regarding basketball, college, his dad, Gabriella- everything. He just wanted to feel.

Although he knew it was wrong to be kissing Sharpay, he figured doing the right thing and listening to the advice of others had only led him to the current dead-end he was trapped in. Squeezing his eyes shut to physically block out his conscience, he pinned her shoulders further against the door hinges.

Sharpay's mind was ablaze with unanswered questions 'Why now? Why here? What about Gabriella?' but she couldn't find the heart (nor strength) to voice her worries, least what she'd so-long sought came crashing to an abrupt end if either allowed their better judgment to kick in. So, she kissed him back. Placing the entire weight of her pent up feelings and all her many aggressions, she kissed Troy back with.

Troy's hands roamed to the slight curvature of her rear, gripping the taut globes, emitting a pleased squeal from her. With his aide, she deftly shimmied further up his torso, his muscular arms easily hoisting her in the air, her legs quickly locking at the ankles behind the small of his back.

He nipped at her neck, desperate to taste more of the sweetness of her bosom.

She breathed his name, feeling his teeth sink into her flesh, leaving straight marks across her flushed skin. He opened his eyes, smirking in triumph at the marred blemish, a symbol of his territory and hunger.

Wordlessly, he made his way up the stairs, gripping the banister in an attempt to aide his quest, not willing to set her down, as his lips were far more interested in the milky white skin above her breasts which he licked and sucked with fervent need.

Once inside his room, Sharpay used both small hands, placing each on either side of his face, to lift his chin up. She _needed_ to relish in more of him. Emitting a soft groan that commiserated the loss of contact with the 'v' of her cleavage, Troy's protests were quickly squashed when her swollen lips reconnected with his.

Using the heel of his foot, he kicked the door shut, slowly walking their tangled bodies over to his bed.

Feeling the buoyancy of Troy's mattress against her feet, Sharpay made a movement to stand upright. Troy released her from the confines of his sinewy embrace, placing her feet-first onto the carpet, watching under piercing hooded eyes as she undressed before him.

She eased her arms out from under the loose trench coat which billowed out around her feet. Next, she gripped the bottom of her tee, crossing both arms across her midsection and lifted up, revealing the tanned flesh of her taught abdomen. Nimble hands reached behind her as she unclasped her bra and let the flimsy material cascade down her arm.

Troy licked his lips, discarding his own shirt- eager to increase the speed in which he'd be able to feel her unclothed skin against his.

Sharpay took in his bare torso- an offering she'd never been shy about openly gazing upon last summer the few times she'd caught glimpse of him swimming laps at the Lava Springs pool.

The alluring image before her of an aroused Troy- breathing heavy and looking at her so intently with _those eyes_, was a sight to behold.

It made her feel alive, drawing forth emotion she'd never felt before- spurring her on.

The two stared at one another as the sound of Sharpay's zipper being pulled down pierced the tense air. She stepped out of the dark denim and Troy felt his member twitch at the sight of her, clad only in a skimpy pair of pale pink cotton panties.

She closed the space between them by taking a few paces toward him. She hooked her thumbs into both the sides of his sweatpants and boxers, tugging downward, her gaze never wavering from his.

Troy gave a gentle sigh of relief, feeling his erection graze against the soft fleece as the thick material fell away from his slender hips. He shook off the discarded garment from around his ankles, swooping down to capture her lips within his, igniting another series of steamy kisses.

She tousled his hair, loving the way the dark caramel strands fell across his forehead and the casual shake of his neck as he flicked them out of his eyes before angling his face, greedily capturing more of what she gave.

Troy's hands roamed across the expansive, seemingly never-ending maze of exposed skin, feeling goose bumps rise in the wake of his strokes as he caressed her back, stomach, hips- any part of her he could touch.

He laced their fingers, freeing them from the grip they had within his hair and brought them down between their chests. Placing a chaste kiss on her lips, he spoke for the first time.

"I want to feel you."

She smiled, kneeling onto the bed, pulling his arms to join her. Hands still connected, she made a movement toward her breasts, assuming he wanted to explore more of the area, as she'd cut his escapade short earlier.

Troy tightened his arm, ceasing her actions. She frowned, her heart beat increased tenfold, dreading that the moment had finally come where he remembered just who she was and a cold fear began to settle in her spine. He would ask her to leave and pretend as if nothing had happened the next day at school.

She released a drawn out moan upon the unexpected placement of his strong digits against the moist front of her panties.

"I want to feel you here" he murmured as he began to stroke his middle finger across her nub, noting how the material quickly collected more liquid.

Her hips bucked of their own accord, attempting to drive his fingers harder along her private parts. He reached over with his other hand, nudging her hips to sit down next to him on the bed. As she did so, he took the opportunity to rid her of the now soiled lingerie, no longer wanting to prolong the inevitable.

He scooted closer to her, his erection bobbing against his abdomen as he did so, and slowly entered two fingers into her already sopping core.

"Oh my god, Tr- Troy-"she stammered, feeling him gradually pry into her heat. He smiled upon hearing her say his name that way for the first time.

He looked down, watching as his wet fingers disappeared and then reemerged, her essence glistening in the low light, prodding him on as witness to the erotic sight before him.

Sharpay whimpered at his ministrations, no longer able to keep her eyes open, she squeezed them shut, moving her hips back and forth, driving his fingers deeper inside her body.

"I need…" she began to plead.

"It's okay, tell me."

Troy watched in awe as her mouth hung open, her hips moving alluringly in time with his hand.

"I want it all" she begged, hoping he'd cease his teasing and simply comply by sliding another finger inside.

"Like this?" he inquired, pushing a third finger into her tight heat- feeling her walls contract, accommodating the newly added pressure.

"Yesss" she hissed, reaching down to hold his wrist in place, grinding harder against him.

He reveled in the fact that she was taking from him the pleasure she craved. Her grip tightened as she began to move her entire lower body up and down over his erect fingers, using his hand to mimic the sexual act she hoped to engage in with him later.

Her moans soon escalated, driving him wild as she moved impossibly fast over his hand. Troy continued to stare, a spectator to her show- holding still for her.

"Oh, Troy" she felt her muscles tensing.

"C'mon…" he urged.

Sharpay froze, her nails biting into his wrist, leaving crescent-shaped marks on his unblemished skin. Her eyes widened as she panted his name fast under her breath. Troy felt rather than saw a searing heat release from her body, further coating his fingers as she mewled against his shoulder, riding out the pleasure that ran through her body.

Troy engulfed her in a blazing kiss, hungrily attacking her lips after the performance she just gave. He groaned against her as he felt her slight fingers take hold of his throbbing sex, stroking the hardened length up and down.

She smiled, feeling the pre-cum that had already seeped, using her thumb to spread it along the head of his penis and down the sides, pumping languidly with her right hand. She stole a glance at his naked sex- temporarily mesmerized by how rigid yet soft it felt, gulping at the generous size.

He ripped his lips from hers, the need for air overwhelming. He looked down to watch her dexterous hands skillfully maneuver around his lap.

The view only bettered as he watched her lean back, deftly rubbing at her womanly folds, collecting moisture to use on his hardness. She sat back up, positioning her hand once again between his parted thighs. She lifted his erection and dipped her palm lower to grope the weighty firm sack of his scrotum.

Troy threw his head back, shouting unintelligibly, his hands going behind him on the bed, bunching the comforter until his knuckles were white.

"Oh my God…" he lamented, feeling her damp grip tighten over his heavy sex.

Sharpay tugged his face close, sealing her lips over his as their tongues battled one another. Troy enjoyed the feel of her petite fingers which now firmly pumped up and down across his engorged length.

Troy lowered his mouth momentarily, gasping as Sharpay's strokes increased.

"Oh, _Sharpay_."

Her name being uttered upon his breath was like a drug. Wanting him to bask in release, she pulled at his member faster, coaxing him further, smirking as she felt him relentlessly squirm underneath her grasp- unable to hold still.

"Fuck, Shar" he cursed.

She listened as his breathing escalated into wheezing, chocked sobs ripping from the depths of his throat until his ever-moving hips halted, his entire body tensed and he grabbed blindly at the sheets underneath him, twisting the fabric in his fierce grasp.

He came in her hand, chanting her name as he emptied his load, jerking slightly when she released his semi-hard erection.

After several long moments his breathing slowed to an even pace.

"That was amazing, Shar" he mused.

"Shar" she repeated.

"Yeah, Shar" he grinned.

Carefully, he placed his naked body over hers, helping ease her head against the multiple pillows until they were comfortably spooning.

She lay nestled between the crook of his thighs, his forearms propped in a way so his body weight wouldn't crush her. The two kissed for what seemed like hours, although it could have only been mere minutes. Time stood still as they nipped, sucked and explored one another.

Troy focused his attention on her left shoulder, licking the long column of her neck down to her collar bone. Sharpay felt his member hard against her inner thigh and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Troy?"

"Mmm?" he murmured, kissing his way from her neck up behind her ear where he tongued her lobe.

"Do you have…" she began.

Repositioning his body, she watched as he reached over to his nightstand, a light ruffling of papers and objects resounding before he brought his hand back between their chests, the light reflecting off the foil of the gold square package he held in his hand.

He made a movement to roll off to the side and fasten the object, but Sharpay stalled his movement.

"Can I?" she quietly asked, taking the small packet away.

"Sure" he smiled, watching in extreme arousal as she ripped open one side, disposing of the empty contents with a careless toss behind her.

Her gaze met his when she went to roll on the condom, taking her time, giving languorous grasps during the descent, feeling his throbbing organ which caused him to emit a soft curse under his breath that made her chuckle lightly.

He positioned himself back between her open legs and kissed her lips gently.

No words were exchanged when he pushed forward ever-so-slightly, feeling his tip begin to part her femininity. As he slowly surged ahead, incoherent noises escaped past Sharpay's lips, the feel of him bewildering her senses.

He placed his sweaty forehead against her, shushing her quietly as he allowed her body time to adjust, wanting to prolong the sensation as long as possible. He could feel her walls gripping him impossibly tight, pulsating- the suction of her wet entrance creating an incredible vacuum effect around him.

Sharpay felt as though she would surely explode if he didn't soon fill her completely.

"Troy, please" she moaned, raising her legs and crossing them low across his back, attempting to drive him all the way in by pressing down with her feet.

Troy traced the contours of her lips with his tongue, dipping down to taste her mouth once more before plunging in, embedding her to the very hilt, causing Sharpay to cry out loudly in deliciously frustrated relief.

This was all she'd ever wanted- to be close to him.

He slid out, quickly lunging into her again and she hissed lightly, moving her hips in time with his movements as he worked up a steady rhythm.

Troy reached up, one hand firmly positioned by her head on the pillow, keeping his upper body propped up. The other gripped his headboard, using the architecture to propel himself harder, deeply plundering her womanhood.

Sweat began to collect across their bodies, Sharpay's open-handed clasp upon his shoulder slipping every so often as he continued his unyielding, breathtaking assault on her nether regions.

She peered down over the valley of his muscular shoulders, sighing in pleasure at the sight of his tan, toned derriere moving up and down as he pounded into her at an unrelenting speed.

Troy released the headboard, his hand finding its way to the smoothness of her upper thigh, pulling her leg up and against his side, growling as the new position helped him slide further into her slick channel.

The sound of their forceful lovemaking and the soft creak of Troy's bed were the only noises resounding amongst sporadic moans of satisfaction.

"So wet…" he mumbled, leaning down to worship one of her breasts, rolling a rosy pert nipple into his mouth, clamping down on the sensitive flesh with his front teeth.

"Troy!" she shrieked in delight.

She whined, pulling his head tightly against her, forcing his mouth hard against her need. She reveled in her passion, twisting her head about.

He spent equal time on her other breast, working her into a state of unrest, causing a thread to suddenly snap inside her.

Using all her weight, Sharpay squeezed her thighs tightly around his torso, flipping the two over so she now sat in his lap, his back against the pillows.

He watched with a fixed stare as she began to ride him, lifting her body up and then slamming back down, her eyes steady taking in his appreciative gaze.

She came down faster, barely lifting now as she ground her hips against his, seeking deliverance- craving the shattering feel of an orgasm she was _so close_ to experiencing.

They moaned in unison, Troy's grip tightening upon her hips as she struggled against him while he dutifully met her thrust-for-thrust. She groped at her breasts, unapologetically kneading them together, gasping at the electricity building around them.

"Fuck, Shar, you feel so good" he rasped, teeth clenched as he held back, waiting for her to fall with him. His sexy words helped her along, the burning in her lower abdomen building with raging intensity.

"You feel me?" he asked, thrusting up to punctuate his statement.

"You feel this?" he placed both hands behind him, using the leverage to drive up harder, forcing her to close her eyes.

He placed one hand between their bodies, reaching down to pinch the nub of her clit between his thumb and index finger. His touch caused her to break. Her back arched beautifully before giving out, both her arms wrapping instinctively around his shoulders, fastening tightly against his body as she unraveled.

Troy howled into his fist, biting down hard as he reached completion, the aroma of strawberry powerful and fragrant as he buried his nose in her light locks.

* * *

A short time later, against Troy's advances, Sharpay dressed and the two found themselves back in the foyer.

"See you tomorrow?" she asked, suddenly very interested in the hem of her rumpled tee.

"Definitely" Troy nodded, running a hand through his hair, wondering if her sudden lack of eye contact meant she regretted their evening together. He couldn't deny he'd had a good time.

"Bye Tro-"

His abrupt kiss silenced her, setting her heart aflutter although earlier he'd done more than a good job leaving her sated.

She breathed in his musk, savoring the distinct aroma and parted her lips so he could lightly run his tongue against hers.

Troy pulled her bottom lip into his mouth before releasing her.

Sharpay smiled.

Troy chuckled, offering one last pleasant goodbye.

Once he'd shut the door, Sharpay couldn't help but bring her hand up to her mouth, covering a wide-spread grin as she walked to her car.

Back inside the household, Troy leaned back on the door, fingers against his own lips, reveling in the hint of her, still freshly lingering on his taste buds. Just as he began to smile, his cell phone beeped loudly, indicating a new message.

He darted upstairs, taking the steps two at a time- sure that it was the blonde who had just left his home. His phone lay on his nightstand, flashing. He grabbed the device and flipped it open, his heart beating wildly in his chest as he read over the words.

_"I think I made a mistake. Call me when you get this. I love you. –G"_


	2. Chapter 2

Can't make any promises that this will be a full-fledged story, but I'll do my best to continue as per your requests!

[AN: Special shout out to **xGuiltyxPleasure** who is the influence behind my even attempting to pen this type of story. I've enjoyed her love of all things Sharpay and Troy- so thank you for the inspiration to pick this back up again!]

* * *

Troy quickly glanced up, doing his best to look discreetly to his left, yet again, at the petite blonde who sat in the middle of her row. It was hard for him to make the gesture look natural, seeing as she was situated clear across the room near the windows, but he did his best to look incognito.

"_Troy… Oh my God!" she moaned._

_His lips fused to hers, greedily seeking more of the subtle nectar of her mouth._

"Troy Bolton, strike two!" a shrill voice cried from the front of the class, abruptly ending his pleasant thoughts.

He winced, more from the embarrassment of having been caught daydreaming than the threat of Miss Darbus' infamous three-strike policy.

Sharpay stiffened upon hearing his name. To an untrained eye, her demeanor was no different than usual- but she felt exposed, caught off guard- ready for a fellow classmate to call her out on the charade.

She was a mess and wouldn't dare look over her shoulder to confirm what she already knew- the undeniable heat from his penetrating gaze was proof enough. He'd been staring at her nearly the entire duration of home room and she was fast starting to crack under the pressure of his direct scrutiny.

"_So wet" he mumbled, using his free hand to grasp firmly to her naked bosom, caressing the warm flesh in the palm of his hand as he surged forward once more with a satisfied groan._

Rousing herself from the memory, Sharpay crossed her legs tightly under her desk in an attempt to will away the beginning pulsations of a dull throb.

She practically sprinted the moment the bell rang, hastily tossing a weighty Prada bag over her shoulder, completely aloof to the disgruntled huff given by Taylor McKessie as the satchel connected with the girl's hip.

Once in the hallway, she bee-lined for the theater room, a safe haven from the likes of a certain brown hair blue eyed boy she was desperately trying to avoid.

Her breath hitched when she felt a pair of slender digits grasp onto the curve of her elbow. Immediately she knew it was the star basketball athlete without even turning her head. She shuddered involuntarily when his warm breath hit her earlobe as he barely spoke above a light whisper.

"We need to talk" was all he cryptically offered.

Frozen, Sharpay silently screamed for help, pleading with onlookers- the teenage boys mistaking her deer-in-headlights stare as unabashed flirtation, offering goofy smiles in her wake.

Troy led her forward as he weaved effortlessly through the congested hall, nonchalantly guiding the two toward an area she vaguely remembered belonging to the school's boiler room.

His aloof front contradicted the loud thumping of his heart swishing in his ears as he quickened his pace in a bid to both talk in private and not cause the two distress by missing the second bell for third period.

One thrust of a heavy metal door and the two teens hurried down a spiraling staircase, Sharpay's high heels clacking loudly during the descent.

She put her frustrations into each step, readying herself to tell him off, giving a severe verbal lashing regarding being drug around school grounds and his public display of indifference.

He'd meant to tell her they'd made a mistake- that he and Gabriella had texted non-stop until the early hours of the morning right after she'd left and they'd made an agreement to try and make things work. Their resolve was to forgive and forget.

* * *

The problem however, started earlier in the day. The resolute speech he'd practiced in his head on the way to school went right out the window upon laying eyes on her as he pulled into the student parking lot.

He saw her out of the corner of his peripheral as he hopped out of his truck. Forgetting his surroundings he stumbled over his untied shoelaces, tripping ungracefully over a pothole.

"Walk much, Bolton?" his best friend Chad called out whilst laughing from somewhere two vehicles over.

"…fuck" he mumbled to himself, blushing furiously at his carelessness during the temporary spellbound trance he'd been under.

He looked up, flicking the cumbersome wisps of hair in his eyesight while hastily tying his laces.

The view of tanned, flaw-free skin Sharpay's generously short dress offered practically taunted him with the not-so-distant-memory of how it felt to run his hands languidly across her expansive curves. He fought to remain neutral, but with a careless toss of her honey-blonde waves as she conversed with theater types, he knew forgiving and forgetting their tryst was next to impossible.

* * *

By the time the duo had reached the bottom landing and shuffled into a dark corner within the damp space, each syllable he'd memorized to break things off and erase their one night together came crashing down when she turned around- finally affording him an unobscured view of her porcelain visage.

Abruptly, he kissed her.

Sharpay didn't protest, her hands immediately flying to the sandy tresses at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer.

He pushed her back forcefully against the cold brick wall, trapping her body between his firm chest as he dove toward her plump lips once more.

"We shouldn't…" she tried, shoving his shoulders back and away.

Azure eyes connected with warm chocolate orbs, silencing her wholly as she felt his fingers caress the back of her neck, ushering her mouth forward. He offered a radiantly lopsided smile, curving just one side of his mouth in a coy manner- instantly melting her trepidation, before reconnecting their lips.

Her mind raced and she moved her head away- against her innermost desire.

"Troy, I-" she truly gave it her all in a valiant last attempt to stop the current madness, however her damned body betrayed her mind, quickly giving in to his simple ministrations. His fingers nimbly brushed at strands of fine baby hairs at the nape of her neck, automatically soothing her worries and she silenced, choosing to sigh in content as he angled his head, brushing his lips against hers in the most delicious of ways.

Their kisses were slow, languid- leisure in their exploration of one another.

Undoubtedly time ticked on, but for the two everything slowed and the focus become solely transfixed on the other during those lasting moments.

Reluctantly Troy pulled away, smiling lazily at her still-closed eyes, lips puckered ever-so-slightly while she savored their embrace- his arms wrapped possessively around her lower torso.

"I'm sorry…I" he began.

"Don't."

He flinched as if burned by the brisk tone in her voice.

"I mean," she looked at the floor.

'Was he witnessing a rare moment of shyness from her?' Troy thought to himself

"Don't ever say sorry. Not for kissing me."

He couldn't help it as a wild grin graced his features.

"This is wrong" she firmly stated, resting her forehead gently against his in a gesture so familiar it made him want to happily declare loyal devotion to her for the rest of his days right there on the spot.

"We made up."

"Gabriella and I" he added, mentally chastising himself for the obvious statement.

"I figured you two would."

He frowned at the nonchalant way in which she responded.

"What does that mean?" he asked, his brow furrowing as he straightened his head to look her square in the eye.

"It doesn't mean anything, Troy. You two are perfect for each other."

She sighed, unclasping her fingers from behind his neck and backing away. She couldn't think straight when she found herself within the confines of his inviting arms.

"I wish you wouldn't push me away…" he lamented.

"I really don't think it's your call to make, Bolton."

He groaned inwardly at the use of his surname. She was fast resorting to old habits. He knew he'd have to talk quick in order to make any sort of headway with the displeased girl.

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do" he stated plainly.

"Then what do you want? Why did you bring me here? To say you're sorry? That I was just an easy lay?" her voice teetered unsteadily at the last remark- something that didn't go unnoticed by Troy.

"_None_ of that is true and you know it."

"A quick fix?" she chastised.

"No."

"A sick pipe dream finally played out…"

"Sharpay, stop" he pleaded.

"We'll forget it happened. It's in the past" she brushed past him in a bid to leave the small space. She needed room to breathe and time to gather her thoughts. She could feel the tears burning at the back of her eyes and she'd be _damned_ if Troy Bolton of all people saw _any_ sign of weakness. He would _not_ see her cry.

He felt glued to the spot, watching fleetingly as she went to turn on her heel and march back up the stairs and out of his life.

He had a chance- a chance to make a moment his. To choose an off the beaten track, where the future was unknown and perhaps even a little murky. There was a burning inside, a small voice urging him to take a risk and go forth fully with his heart- to not listen to his head, just this once.

"What if I choose you?" he blurted out.

She stopped in her tracks.

"What if I said I was confused, huh?" he took a step forward, his voice rising with confidence in the fact that she hadn't run away, yet.

"I've made a real mess of things. I cheated and it's not something I'm proud of. But, I'm not sorry about us. I'm not sorry that for the first time-" he fisted a handful of hair in angst, emotions seeming to get the best of him.

Against her will, Sharpay turned to be face-to-face. The sheer raw manner in which he spoke had piqued her interest. Never had she heard Troy Bolton sound so earnest.

"That for the first time, in a _long_ time, I went after something _I _wanted. Not my teachers, my dad, friends, college scouts…" he trailed off.

He took a shaky breath, unfamiliar with voicing his feelings in such an unabashed way, and continued.

"I didn't seek the approval of someone else. I wasn't coerced into bed with you, Sharpay. I _wanted_ to be there. I did what I wanted and I'm not going to lie and say I regret it."

"I _should_ feel sorry. That's the normal reaction most people would have in this sort of situation, but-"

"But what?" she whispered.

"I don't" he concluded with a shrug of his shoulders.

She pursed her lips at this, fearful that if she spoke she'd become a blubbering mess. For longer than she'd ever _dare_ hint at being true- she'd waited to hear words similar to this from Troy. Now he was saying them and it wasn't having quite the same effect she'd imagined. The fairytale ending and white picket fence wasn't laid before them.

Troy decided to further seize the moment, taking a leap of faith and giving voice to something he'd felt for a while, but hadn't been brave enough to admit until then.

"I think I've wanted you for longer than I even realized that maybe I needed someone like you."

"What are you saying, Troy?"

"I don't know exactly. I wish I did, but I _do_ know that I don't want you to go."

"We can't stay in the boiler room forever" she chuckled.

"I think" he began to walk toward her, one step at a time.

"that maybe, if we both feel the same and want to see whatever this-" he motioned with his pointer finger between the two of them, "is, then it's worth trying."

He stopped once he was flush with her body- all he had to do was reach out and he'd be able to touch her.

"You're serious." She wasn't asking, just stating a simple truth. Troy Bolton was offering her a chance at… more.

He nodded his head slowly.

"This doesn't make any sense!" she exclaimed, throwing both hands in the air with exasperation.

"It doesn't have to."

"Stop saying the right thing!" she held her hand up in front of his face. "Stop being nice, stop having a comeback for everything, just- STOP talking, Bolton."

She leaned against the stairwell, closing her eyes for composure's sake.

"It's nearly the end of senior year" she mused.

He rocked on his heels, somewhere in the distance the second bell rang and he grimaced knowing they'd both be delivered swift detention slips upon entering class at a tardy hour.

"So what do you think, Shar?"

There it was again, his nickname for her. She smiled slightly at the way it made her stomach feel when he called her by the abbreviated handle.

"I don't know if this is such a good idea. You're not exactly single at the moment, you know."

"Look, I won't ask you to do something you don't want to. I also won't officially ask for a chance when I need to tell all of these things to Gabriella. I should have done so last night, but I got scared."

"Understandable…" Sharpay kicked at a small stone near their feet, the dim light reflecting off the rhinestones encrusted across her silver pumps.

He felt her guard drop and went to hold her forearm.

"I'm not backing down and this isn't me running away. I've just got a few things to settle before I can ask anything from you."

"Okay."

"That's it? Okay?" Troy seemed skeptical.

"The ball's in your court, Troy. You've said your piece and talked the talk- now walk the walk. Show me that you're trustworthy."

With that, Troy glanced at his watch, groaning at the time he read.

"We're late, we should get going."

Sharpay made a movement to start up the stairs and was stopped by his hand firmly grasping onto hers.

"What?" she asked with a pout, confused as to why they weren't hurrying to their next course.

He knew he shouldn't ask, that he didn't have the right seeing as he still was someone else's boyfriend, but he couldn't stop himself.

"Can I kiss you just one more time? Before we head out there?"

She pondered his request for a brief time, signaling her consent with a small nod of her head.

Troy straightened his shoulders, maneuvering his hand once again to the back of her neck and brought her in for a searing kiss.

Sharpay was nervous. She knew their union would be met with mostly outrage and some confusion- but mostly the former. She'd be painted as the conniving, back-stabbing bitch who stole Troy away from Gabriella. The student body would find ways to excuse his part in their rendezvous, not wanting to sully their Golden Boy's flawless image. She'd be the scapegoat.

She dreaded the glares she'd no doubt receive for weeks on end, the harshly spoken taunts and bathroom gossip that would follow in her wake.

But for now, in the cocoon of acceptance she found herself in with Troy, she was willing to risk it all to have him.

With one last loving nip at her bottom lip, Troy nudged his nose against hers before pulling away.

"Don't screw it up, Bolton" Sharpay warned, tossing him a mega-watt smile before quickly prancing up the stairs, leaving behind the happily disheveled seventeen year old- a grin on his face and the faint remnants of vanilla upon his lips.


	3. Chapter 3

He smiled warmly as she wrapped her arms around his neck, deeply breathing in the scent that not too long ago had intoxicated, finding himself resting his cheek softly against the crown of her head in a gesture more familiar than genuine, gripping her sides.

"I missed you, Wildcat" Gabriella beamed, pulling back to look up into his eyes sheer joy permeating through her gaze.

Guilt wrecked his entire body.

* * *

She knew the entire car ride that something was off kilter, frowning internally at how his limp hand held fastened against hers, noticing she was providing the brunt grip in their commingled fingers.

Troy had picked her up from the airport following her initial visit to Stanford. The weekend provided what would be one of few trips home to Albuquerque, given the structured calendar of events leading up to her advanced studies curriculum. At the urging of her mother, she'd secured one of two last seats left on a red-eye flight home late Friday evening.

"_I've got great news, Troy!"_

"_Oh yeah?" he mused, absent-mindedly toying with a frayed edge of his quilted comforter._

_He'd been unusually quiet the entire duration of their call. Upon Gabriella's inquisition to his shifted mood he resolutely stated basketball practices were grueling as of late and that it was the sole cause of his unenthusiastic behavior._

"_I'm flying in tomorrow night!" she blurted- sighing in relief at holding in the exciting news for so long, having wanted to shout it out immediately when he'd picked up the phone._

"_Wow Gabriella…"_

_She frowned at the formal use of her full name. Oftentimes Troy was content to call her the abbreviated 'Gabi', 'Gab' or other fond pet names, but he'd steady addressed her as 'Gabriella' that evening._

"_What's going on, Wildcat?" she timidly asked._

"_What? Nothing!" he practically yelped, his raised octave signaling a mini red flag in Gabriella's mind._

"_I'm sorry, Troy. I just expected you'd be a little more excited."_

_He rubbed furiously at his temples. She of all people need not apologize to him now. Gabriella had done nothing wrong._

"_Babe, I am happy."_

_She smiled._

"_I'm just really fried, school is a pain, this play is a complete bitch and Coach has been riding my ass more than usual because of state. You know how crazy he gets."_

"_Bat shit" Gabriella chuckled._

"_You can say that again."_

"_I'll let you go. I'm sitting here chatting away when you could be resting. I was just calling to let you know I'll be home this weekend. I can't wait to spend some time with you."_

"_You're not just chatting away" he lamented._

"_You know what I mean."_

"_Well hey, what time do you get in?"_

"_12:45 AM."_

"_Ouch" he grimaced._

"_I know."_

"_Pick you up?"_

"_Your parents won't mind?"_

"_Nah, mom's been cool lately about curfew and dad can piss off."_

"_Troy, don't talk about your father that way."_

"_Sorry."_

"_You sure it's going to be okay?"_

"_Yes, Gabriella."_

"_Go downstairs and ask them both for me real quick?"_

"_I'm sure it's fi-"_

"_Trooooooy!" she mockingly whined._

"_Okay, okay."_

_He trotted down the stairs, making sure to cause enough noise with his steps in case his parents had decided to make out. He'd gone upstairs earlier, bored with the movie they'd selected to watch- something about twenty wedding dresses. Either way, his mother and father had barely acknowledged his departure, leaving Troy to simply shake his head at their teenage-like behavior. He'd interrupted them one too many times to a fluster of whispered explicative's, flushed cheeks and excuses for why they appeared so out of breath._

_Like clockwork he heard a scattering of throw pillows and had to keep from laughing when he saw his father's haphazard hair and his mother smoothing out the front of her sweater._

_Rolling his eyes, he rounded the corner into the living room._

"_Guys-"_

"_Troy! Sweetie! What's up?" his mom chirped a little too eagerly._

"_Why such a ruckus, son?"_

"_To give you time."_

"_But we-"_

"_I don't care. It's cool, I just figured I'd give a little warning."_

_He swallowed the laughter about to bubble over as his mother's face turned several shades of bright pink._

"_Troy, your mother and I love each other very much and when mom's and dad's lo-"_

"_Oh my God, we had this talk when I was eleven, dad!"_

"_OKAY! Starting over" he announced with a clap of his hands. He jolted out of the living room and back up the stairs._

_Making sure to stomp extra loud this time, he once again descended._

"_I. AM. COMING. DOWN. THE. STAIRS." Troy's voice boomed._

"_MOM? DAD? YOUR ANGELIC SON HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU. GEE, I HOPE I'M NOT INTERRUPTING THE AMAZING MOVIE YOU'RE MOST CERTAINLY WATCHING!"_

_With a slight hop in his step he once again came 'round the corner, grinning wildly at his parents who seemed amused by his antics._

"_Gabriella is coming home tomorrow. She's on a red-eye that arrives at 12:45 AM. Can I go pick her up?"_

"_May I, Troy" his mother corrected._

"_MAY I go pick her up?" he grinned hard in her direction to which she stuck her tongue out at him._

"_Yes, you may."_

"_That's kind of late, don't you think?" his dad challenged._

"_Mom said yes- you heard her" Troy argued._

"_Last I checked you have two parents."_

"_C'mon, Gabriella's been on hold this whole time. Just say yes, you know nobody's on the road that early and I'll take my time."_

"_That's fine, sweetie."_

"_Cool, thanks Mama! You da best!" he called over his shoulder racing back up the steps._

"_I guess its fine with your father, too!" Jack offered._

"_I'm so sorry, my parents-"_

"Were m_aking out again?" Gabriella giggled._

"_But of course" he sighed, feeling slightly better than he had been earlier._

"_It's cool, I'll be picking you up at the airport."_

"_Great, I'll be sure to let my mom know. Can't wait to see you. Go get some sleep, okay?"_

"_Nite, Gabriella"_

"_Goodnight, Troy."_

_Gabriella swiped the 'end' button on her cell phone, gently laying down the device. She blew out a deep breath. It was the first time they'd hung up without exchanging 'I love you's.'_

* * *

The loud ticking of Troy's car signal roused Gabriella from her daydreaming. Rather than stumble over unengaged conversation she'd opted on quieting her racing mind by simply focusing on the New Mexico sky littered with thousands of stars twinkling overhead.

Troy glanced in his rearview mirror, easily parallel parking his vehicle in front of her house. Gabriella smiled noticing that a light immediately switched on inside signaling that her mother was anxious to see her only child.

"Welcome home."

"Thanks. It feels good to be back."

"Tro-"

"Gab-"

The two laughed uneasily.

"You first" Troy motioned with his hand for her to go ahead.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"You're already letting on that there _is_ a 'something'."

He sat in silence, afraid to look in her direction.

She exhaled heavily in frustration.

"I thought we said we'd try to make this work? You said you wanted to be with me. I want to be with you. What changed in the past few days?"

Troy wanted to tell her, but he knew the timing wasn't right. In fact, it was horrible. She'd just arrived home from a lengthy trip away from her friends and mother. The last thing she needed was a break up shpeal.

"Can we talk about this tomorrow?"

He noticed her shift in a way that signaled she was about to get upset that made him decide to speak fast.

"Look, you're right. Okay? I'm not myself. But for tonight, I want you to go inside, talk your mom's ear off about Stanford, get in a hot shower and just go to bed and rest."

"You know she's watching us from the dining room, right?" he added lightheartedly.

"I know…" Gabriella offered with a small smirk.

"Tomorrow. Me and you."

"You and I" she chided.

"Right. You and I."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

She leaned in, placing her lips over his. Troy didn't back away. She was still very much his girlfriend and he wouldn't lie to himself and say that all emotion simply flew out the window upon his encounter with Sharpay.

He deepened their embrace a bit, slipping his tongue across her bottom lip, noting the pleased humming sound coming from deep within the back of her throat.

"Better?" he asked, forehead still pressed against hers.

"Much. Thanks for the ride, Wildcat. Tell your parents I said hello, too."

"I will. Go get some rest. Hi Mrs. Montez!" he called out through the open window, noticing that the older woman had appeared in the doorway, antsy to see her daughter. Gabriella turned around, waving eagerly at her mother.

"Told ya she missed you" Troy gloated as he exited his truck to pluck her rolling bag from the flatbed, setting it down on the sidewalk, making sure he lifted the weighty luggage from the curb so she wouldn't have to struggle with it.

"Yeah, yeah. Nite baby. See you in the morning!" she wrapped her arms around his slim torso, giggling softly as he kissed the top of her curls, jokingly pretending to spit out hairs.

"Nite."

"Mommy!" Gabriella raced to her mother, embracing the woman lovingly.

He made sure the two women were safely in the house before returning to the driver's seat.

* * *

On the way home Troy dialed the familiar number on his cell, hastily swiping the 'speaker' button and setting the device on the seat beside him quickly rolling up the truck's noisy windows as the phone rang.

"What's up?"

"No hello?" Troy laughed.

"This _is_ the 21st century and I have caller ID, you know."

"I need to talk to you."

"Troy, it's pretty late…"

"I'll just be a minute."

"Please?" he added.

"Fine."

"Okay, see you soon."

A few minutes later Troy rounded the corner and grinned upon seeing the familiar face groggy as they walked down the driveway to meet him out by the curb.

"This better be good" Chad yawned, climbing into the passenger side of the vehicle.

The curly-haired boy frowned rubbing his hands together and placing them up to the air vents dramatically in an attempt to warm up.

"You could at least turn the heat on, bro."

Troy erupted in a fit of laughter.

Looking nonplussed, Chad stared at Troy.

"What?! Troy exclaimed.

"Heat on now or I leave."

"You're such a woman sometimes" Troy grumbled, fishing his keys from his jacket pocket and turning the ignition on.

"Better princess?"

"Yes. Now what's _so_ important you couldn't wait until a reasonable hour to tell me?"

"You can't tell anyone. Promise, okay?"

"Did you kill someone?"

"What? No! Dude, I'm being serious."

"I am too! What else is there that you could need to tell a friend this late?"

"A million things and your mind went straight to murder?"

Troy shook his head.

"Look, there's no body, no one died, but I did something really bad and I feel like I'm going explode if I don't do something about it."

"I told you to stop ordering those double inferno burritos, man. You just can't handle the heat. Go home and take a shit. It might burn, but you'll definitely feel better. Holding it in is just going to make it worse in the long run, trust me. Do your 'rents have any Alka Seltzer on hand? That'll do the trick."

"You _literally_ are the dumbest person I know" Troy deadpanned.

"I'm out" Chad made a grab for the door handle.

"Dude, c'mon!"

"You _just_ said you did something really bad and that you're going to explode. How many times have I said to stick to the tacos at Ortega's, but no- Bolton's gotta prove he's a manly man and try and order-"

"I slept with Sharpay" Troy interrupted.

A few awkward moments passed.

"_Ice Princess_?"

"Please be serious, I'm begging you."

"Shit, man… you tapped Evans? Of all people… I mean, she's smokin' hot don't get me wrong but the attitude on that girl is a thing of nightmares."

Troy groaned.

"Wait a fucking second!"

"What?"

"What about Gabs? You have a girlfriend!"

"Thank you for joining the conversation, Captain Obvious."

"You're fucked."

"Chad, if ever I've asked you of anything in this life or the next it is to _please_ just be my buddy and tell me what to do."

"All right, all right. All jokes aside?"

"Yeah?"

"You're fucked."

"Chad!"

"No, dude let me explain the degree to which you are fucked. Sharpay Evans has had it bad for you the last…. Oh, I don't know lifetime?!"

Troy went to speak.

"We've all seen it, whether you want to admit it or not."

Troy closed his mouth, his lips forming a straight line.

"So you've got this broad chasing after your ass since the first grade. Gabriella rolls up sophomore year and even though everyone figured you and Sharpay were going to eventually hook up, you two start going out instead. It didn't make any sense then, but here we are two years later, we're legit a _month_ away from graduation and you go and pull this."

Suddenly the floor of his car was the most interesting thing in the world to Troy.

"Dude, _all_ of Gabriella's friends said you were a typical jock. They warned her that she was just a phase and to not get attached or give you the time of day. Taylor would kill me if she knew I was telling you this, but she and Martha especially weren't sold on you being good boyfriend material until recently."

"How recent?"

"Like New Years recent."

"So Gabriella's had this shit in her ears basically the whole time you guys have dated and the thing is man, she loves you. Taylor's always telling me how Gabriella thinks you're so smart and that you're going to amount to be such an amazing man when you're older… like, deep shit."

"What I'm saying is, you just proved to this girl that her friends were right all along. So, you're fucked because no matter what she's going to look the fool in all this, even though you're the one who couldn't keep it in your pants."

"I really fucked up, Chad. I don't want to hurt Gabriella."

"Too late for that…"

Troy sighed heavily.

"Look, dude. Let me ask you something. You want to stay with Gabs?"

A piercing silence penetrated the air.

"Hold up, you actually _like_ Evans?"

"There's a lot that's confusing," Troy began

"But yeah- I think there's something we have together that's worth trying. She's unique, I like how she challenges me, and I want to know everything about her."

"When did you two knock the boots?"

Troy glared in his direction.

"Sorry" Chad offered.

"It happened on Sunday night. Right after you'd left when Gabriella called and broke things off, or whatever the fuck that was. I didn't think it was cheating!"

"Did she say you two were broken up?"

"No, not those exact words."

"If neither of you actually said the words 'break up' then…"

"I'm fucked" Troy concluded.

"Pretty much."

"I'm going to tell her tomorrow."

"You sure about that?"

"She has a right to know the truth. All of it."

"Shit, man." Chad ran his fingers through his hair.

"That's heavy, stuff. I'm sorry" he offered sincerely, noticing his pal's somber mood.

"I'm sorry, too" Troy whispered.

"Look, you know I've got your back, right?"

Troy nodded.

"You're going to be _one_ _disliked_ mo-fo come Monday morning. Break it to her easy. That's all the advice I've got for you."

"You good? For now?"

Once again Troy nodded.

"Yeah, man. I'm good."

Chad opened his door, letting in the cool night air.

"Hey, Troy?"

He looked up and at his best friend.

"I really am sorry, man. I liked Gabs. She was good for you. But sometimes shit happens."

"Yeah…" Troy mused, thinking back on how if you'd told him two weeks ago he'd be where he was with his soon-to-be-ex girlfriend he'd have laughed in that person's face.

"Thanks for coming outside. I've got to split before my parents fly off the handle."

"Good luck and you know, call me if you want to go grab a burger or something tomorrow" called out as he trotted back up the inclined driveway heading home.

* * *

Once home, and after a lengthy discussion with his parents about the definition of curfew accompanied with the threat of grounding, Troy found himself within the warm confines of his bed.

He draped one boxer-clad leg out from under the sheets- a means of keeping cool that he'd adopted as a toddler, and shut his eyes.

Just as sleep came to pass his cell began vibrating. He moaned, not willing to open his eyes and groped blindly with his left hand for the device.

Across town the petite blonde caller laid back against her many throw pillows, twirling a strand of wavy lock between her thumb and forefinger.

"Hello?" Troy mumbled having found his phone on the second to last ring.

"Hi Troy" the crystal clear voice sounded, causing his eyes to fly open.

He grinned to himself.

"Hey, what's up?"

"I couldn't sleep and figured you might be up. You sound tired, did I wake you?"

"No, not at all" he lied.

"Good. I just wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Is what we're doing right?"

Troy pondered the question, going back and forth in his mind about how to answer.

"Hello?"

"Yeah, I'm here" he offered, shaking his head a bit to rouse himself.

"That's a kind of loaded question, Pay."

Unbeknownst to him her cheeks flushed at the nickname he'd casually begun to use when speaking to her.

"I mean, to some I guess they'd say this is wrong. That you and I had our chance."

"What do _you_ say?" she pointedly questioned.

"I say sometimes life throws you a curve ball, and you either grab hold and see what course the play runs or fumble and let the moment pass you by."

"I like you. I like you _a lot_. If I'm being honest, it's always been there. I got caught up in doing what everyone else wanted me to do so I could live up to certain expectations, I guess. I'm not proud of that, and me not sticking up for myself has hurt people… it's _going_ to hurt people," he continued, thinking of the crestfallen face of Gabriella he'd undoubtedly witness later that day "but, I don't know if what we're doing is right or wrong. I _do_ know that I'm excited to start finally getting to know about you… the real you" he concluded.

"I'm excited to get to know you, too."

"Let's not worry about the wrong and right of it all and just lead by faith. I know that sounds kind of cheesy, but-"

"It sounds perfect, actually" offered.

"Sorry I woke you up."

"You didn't."

"Talk to you soon. Goodnight, Troy."

"Nite, Pay."

He laid his phone back down as it defaulted back to the main screen signaling the call ended.

His stomach churned as he thought about the potential life he was giving up in choosing the off-beaten path.


	4. Chapter 4

Troy watched as she walked ahead of him, scouting the perfect spot for a late-afternoon picnic.

He'd awoken at six o'clock that morning, unable to rest given the day he knew lie ahead. His father had mistaken his dawn rising as personal drive to get in a workout bright and early.

"_Morning, son!" Jack gave his only child a hearty clap on the back._

_Troy winced, not ever having been much of a morning person. Supplying a low unintelligible grunt in the general direction of his dad, he shuffled slowly toward the refrigerator._

"_Good to see you awake and taking the play-offs serious. Getting in a jog, I see?" _

_The word 'jog' roused Troy just enough to fully open his eyes._

"_Dad, Sunday is my only day off. I'm just up early because I had a shi-"abruptly he cut himself off seeing the look on Jack's face flash heeding dangerously._

"_Sorry, crappy time sleeping" Troy finished, visibly relaxing when he saw his father's head drop back down to the newspaper._

"_The early bird catches the worm" Jack offered in a sing-song voice, causing Troy to groan internally at the corny proverb._

_He bent over, scouring the shelves for any kind of liquid substance. His blurry vision focused in on a half-empty container of fresh squeezed orange juice._

_Sighing in content he twisted off the lid, ready to tip the remaining contents into his already open mouth._

"_I know my son is not thinking about drinking straight from a carton" he heard his mother's voice ring out._

_Caught off guard Troy sputtered as the tangy juice poured down his face, causing some of it to run up his nose. He stood coughing and sneezing._

_Jack chuckled lightly behind the mask of the Sunday Times while Lucille also fought the urge to laugh._

"_A little help?" Troy wheezed, annoyance bubbling forth at the thought that undoubtedly his parents were getting a kick out of the situation._

_His mother grabbed a handful of paper towels, placing them in Troy's awaiting hands. Without missing a beat she plucked a small glass cup from the cabinet setting it down in front of him._

"_Cups, Troy. I don't know why you insist we have these weekly reminders" his mother chastised. _

_Thoroughly dissatisfied with how his morning was going thus far, Troy quickly filled the glass to the rim, took a 3-point stance from the trash with the empty carton, making the shot with ease and wordlessly retracted back to his room._

* * *

"Is this okay with you, Troy?" Gabriella asked.

He looked past her extended arm where she pointed toward the base of an old black pine tree positioned halfway in the direct sunlight with the branches providing pleasant shade for their eyes.

'_As good as any…'_ he somberly thought.

"Troy?"

"Yeah. Yeah, this is fine."

Smiling, Gabriella began to unpack the small wicker basket her mom helped assemble, pleasantly humming to herself as she revealed the tasty morsels.

Troy felt sick to his stomach. His eyes threatened to spill forth all the many unshed tears- tears of frustration and worry. The guilt he'd carelessly felt void of in the days shortly following he and Sharpay's night together had begun to creep forward. Little by little he realized exactly what his actions were going to cost him. He'd lose newly made friends – people like Kelsi and Ryan, the respect of peers and most of all the companionship of an individual who'd played an instrumental part in his breaking free of former constraints that had held him back all these years.

Apologizing right away seemed best, but he knew there weren't enough _I'm sorry's_ to keep her heart from breaking. She'd understandably be angry and he was ready to sit and let her wail on him if that's what she felt like doing… it's the least he deserved.

Their seemingly pleasant afternoon had only begun an hour earlier when he'd gone to pick her up and it was all about to end in a matter of minutes, maybe even seconds.

He glanced up and selfishly stole a lingering last gaze at her as she was- in love with him.

In that same moment she too lifted her head and smiled gently when their eyes connected.

He imprinted the way her orbs lifted at the corners, the bounce of her curls in the soft wind. With all things said and done he still cared for her and wanted that memory as a lasting portrait he held in regard before ruining their happily ever after.

Sighing heavily, he spoke.

"Gabriella?"

She went on unfolding napkins. His voice was so hoarse he'd barely enunciated the words clearly, only speaking but above a slight whisper.

_C'mon you coward, just do it._

He wiped the sweat from his palms against the grass, bracing himself to say her name again, clearing his throat in the process.

"Gabriella?" he said, this time with more confidence.

"Yeah?"

She continued unwrapping snacks including soda cans, Ziploc bags filled with grapes and strawberries, the Montez family recipe brownies he couldn't seem to get enough of.

_Do it now, it'll only hurt more the longer you wait._

"We need to talk."

Unexpectedly he watched as a Tupperware full of tiny meticulously cut sandwiches fell from her grasp, the contents spilling out across the navy and white checkered blanket.

Troy scrambled to retrieve the food, picking up flecks of cheese, portions of deli meats and crunchy lettuce.

In his haste he didn't notice that she'd begun to cry. It was quiet and non-fussy, with large droplets racing down her cheeks. Her breath caught in her throat and her chest heaved with the effort it took to not crumble into a blubbering mess.

Once he'd done his best to get all the pieces back together, he closed the lid on the plastic container and looked up, gutted to see her face riddled with wetness both from her eyes and nose as she silently wept.

"Oh my God, Gabriella are you okay?" he asked, instinctively reaching out to touch her shoulder.

She pulled back, not forcefully, but enough that his hand missed her flesh and he frowned.

"Just do it."

"Do what?" he swallowed thickly.

"You're breaking up with me, aren't you?"

To Troy's surprise she smirked a bit at this.

"I should have known the other night when things were off that you didn't really want to get back together. I had a feeling that you just-"she hiccupped loud, not able to finish her sentence due to a blinding onslaught of tears.

"I'm sorry" he offered lamely in hushed defeat.

"Why?" she sniffled, wiping the cumbersome small flecks of black mascara that had begun to smear down her visage away with the back of her hands.

It'd be so easy to just say things had run their course, he was confused, that they were young and should see if maybe in the future they met up again... anything but the truth, which would surely crush her.

"I…"

He coughed, not able to vocalize his thoughts coherently.

His eyes clouded with overwhelming emotion. He didn't think it would be this hard. He'd pictured Sharpay's delicate face and soft features beaming at him to go forward and now he just felt stupid and alone. He hadn't meant for things to get so twisted and he didn't want for Gabriella to feel foolish, but how could she not when he'd done the unthinkable?

Blinking hard and willing away the pain, he tried again.

Gabriella tilted her head, curiously peering at him through heavy lashes. _What had he done?_

"I um…"

He bit the side of his lip in a futile attempt to stop them from shaking as he peered once more into her eyes.

"I slept with someone else" he finally stated.

Moments passed while Troy trained his eyes down, a lump rising in his throat unwilling to budge the more he tried in vain to swallow.

Gabriella stared at him in disbelief. As promised, a few months earlier they'd been one another's first.

* * *

_She giggled under his embrace._

_The barrier between their adolescence and future adulthood stood before them. _

_Troy was still clad in his boxers and she in a floral satin thong. They'd spent the better half of an hour working one another into a frenzied state. Both their bodies tingled with mutual anticipation and arousal._

_He brushed his erection against her upper thigh, allowing her to feel the alluring effect she had on him._

"_This is still just you and me" he breathed._

"_You and I" she playfully corrected, her lips parting in a radiant smile._

_He took the opportunity of her slightly open mouth to once more dive toward the heavenly plump petals, grazing his tongue against the roof of her mouth, tasting every inch of her sweetness._

_Pulling away for air only when needed, they beamed at one another._

"_I love you, Wildcat," she whispered while staring up at his handsome face "and I trust you."_

_As she spoke, her thumbs hooked into the sides of his briefs, ridding him of the final article of clothing._

_Like clockwork, Troy raised first one leg and then Gabriella's other, sliding the gossamer panties down and off her toned tanned legs._

_With that, Troy stared into her warm eyes, waiting for a small nod of consent which she quickly supplied._

_He pecked her lips once more and took a deep breath…_

* * *

"You…" she placed a hand over her mouth, as she unexpectedly sobbed hard into her open palm to refuse him hearing even so much as a peep out of her during this debacle.

After some time, she shook her head back and forth vehemently in a bid to stop the influx of disgust spewing forth and took a few shaky deep breaths, silently praying for the cascading tears to end.

"You don't even have the courage to look at me and say it to my face?" she challenged.

"I'm sor"

"Don't you dare" she viciously shot back, making sure her voice remained calm and collected.

"Gabriella, I _never _meant to hurt you" he pleaded, sniffling hard.

"I _trusted_ you. I gave you my heart and this is the thanks I get?" she questioned.

"I love you…" she spoke to no one in particular.

"I LOVED YOU!" she yelled, causing Troy's blue eyes to open wide in shock. In the two and a half years they'd been together he'd never heard Gabriella raise her voice.

"I know you did and _believe me_, I loved you too, Gabriella. I didn't just fall out of love with you one day. You've got to understand that when this happened you had just called me and said-"

"When."

"_WHEN_, Troy?" she shouted.

"Later that night after you'd called earlier and said you'd run out of goodbyes. It just happened, Gabriella. I didn't plan it, I swear."

"Oh, that's rich. It just happened? You just _happened _to fall into someone else's loins. Sure, Troy" she scoffed, frantically beginning to toss the uneaten food back into the basket. She was beginning to crack and didn't want him to see her in such a flustered state.

Suddenly it dawned on her. The last question she had for him before anything else she may have pondered wouldn't matter.

"Who is she?"

Troy clenched his fists, knowing he was a fool to believe he'd get off easy. Somehow he'd been ignorant enough to think he wouldn't have to answer for his actions, let alone name names.

Gabriella had inkling about who it was, but she needed to hear him say it. He owed her that; to at least divulge the person half responsible for their demise.

"Is it someone I know?" she tested.

Troy closed his eyes and bowed his head.

"Sharpay" he simply stated.

The next series of events was something neither Troy nor Gabriella would ever come to understand.

A sickly groan erupted from her mouth as she doubled over heaving with heavy, ragged cries. Her mouth hung open and her small frame tensed with the strain of forceful sorrow.

Troy was immediately on his feet, rushing to her side, ignoring her anguish and verbal pleas to leave her alone, and wrapped his arms firmly around her upper torso.

She fought against him for a moment, balled her hands into tight fists and rained down on his chest.

Realizing this did no good, she opened her fingers and began to slap his cheeks, retracting back only long enough to poise herself for the next savage blow to his face.

Troy didn't put up much of a fight, if any. When she tired, he held her while she cursed his name, promised him all the things he'd never amount to and sagely foreshadowed what he'd lost.

She cryptically vowed he'd never deserved her and that her friends were right all along. She uttered every deep, dark secret he'd ever thought was true of his character aloud.

The thing is, he agreed with her.

"I knew you would do this to me!" she cried.

"I KNEW you would do this!"

Without warning she made a run for it, abandoning the basket and haphazard blanket.

"Gabriella!" Troy called out as he immediately raced after her.

She was gone, running as fast as her lithe legs could carry her. Spying his truck down the pebbled road she frantically zigzagged around it, kicking up a cloud of dust as she rounded the corner, heading straight on toward the expansive open road.

"GABRIELLA!" Troy yelled, struggling to catch up.

There was no telling when she'd stop and they were miles from home. She could feel the wind in her hair and the _whoosh_ of air circling in and around her ears. Troy was a distant memory now with just a stretch of land before her to further wedge distance between them.

She did not think in that time but acted purely on instinct.

They ran for several minutes, Troy helplessly shouting for her to stop and Gabriella steady maintaining her stride, hell-bent on outlasting him and continuing forward.

Troy worried she'd trip in an unseen pothole, causing a sprained ankle or even worse, that one of the many poisonous snakes slithering about would be waiting in one of those dark ditches. Wincing at a pain in his side, he angled his hands closer to his body to propel him forward at a faster rate, desperate to catch up.

Thankfully she began to slow, exhaustion overrunning her petite frame and clarity beginning to seep into her foggy mind. Troy noticed this and let up on the speed in which he trailed her- not wanting to smother her.

She breathed in the cool air, looking out over the dusty plains. Her chest rose and fell and she felt herself come back from a brief lapse in time where impulse took over.

She had both feet on the ground and it securely anchored her to the spot.

"Gabriella?" Troy cautiously inched forward.

She turned around, an almost serene look upon her face.

"I want to go home."

"Okay. Just come back and I'll take you right home."

They walked in silence the mile or so she'd run, a feat which surprised her seeing as in gym class she struggled to finish the mile in the allotted twelve minutes of time.

Neither spoke during the trek back, for there were no words. They were over and things would never be the same.

* * *

Troy pulled up to her house, jerking the clutch and pushing the gear into park.

Gabriella looked worse for wear, her hair was a bit limp and her face which usually had a sparkling olive hint was now a bit ashen. She gathered her belongings silently, purposefully looking anywhere but in Troy's direction.

She made a move to reach for the door handle and stopped short.

"Don't ever speak to me again" was her simple command.

"Do you hear me?"

Troy solemnly nodded and watched, dejected, withdrawn and completely out of sorts as she slammed the car door and walked away from him.

* * *

By the time he arrived home his mother and father were both already sitting and waiting for him at the kitchen table.

"Troy Alexander Bolton" his mother's voice boomed the second he walked through the garage door.

Begrudgingly he slunk through the hallway and into the vast room.

"You've got some explaining to do, young man. We get a call from Miss. Montez saying Gabriella's locked herself in her room and won't come out. She refuses to say what's going on, but apparently you two went out on an ill-fated picnic?" his mother relentlessly laid into him.

"That wasn't a rhetorical question, son" Jack spoke up.

"We broke up._ I_ broke up with her" Troy clarified.

"Troy, what's gotten into you?" his mother implored earnestly, concern rising in her tone.

"You and Gabriella have been going steady over two years" Lucille implored.

"That just doesn't seem like you" Jack stated.

Troy stood rigid, unflinching.

"What on _earth_ could have possibly gone wrong within a week's timeframe that you're now breaking up with your high school sweetheart? You've got graduation coming up an-"his mother droned on.

"Look, I don't need this lecture from you guys right now, okay?!" Troy exploded.

"Do _not_ raise your voice in this house or at your mother like that, young man" Jack warned.

"Fine! You want to know the truth of it, since apparently my life is the talk of the town all of a sudden?! I cheated on her!" Troy exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

"Your son, Mr. Wonderful, cheated on his girlfriend and then broke up with her."

"Oh, Troy" his mother sighed, a deep frown settled on her face.

"I don't need your pity and I know it's messed up. Gabriella already let me know how much I screwed up everything. Do me a favor and save the whole speech on how you raised me better, because obviously you didn't."

With that, he took off for the staircase, ignoring the displeased sounds of his parents. He slammed the door to his bedroom shut and flicked the lock in place before crumbling upon his bed in a heap.

* * *

Troy opened his eyes, grimacing immediately at the jarring thump within his temples from the ache of a nasty headache. After the spat with his parents, he'd finally wept long and hard, burying his face into a pillow and unleashing all the pain over the hurt he'd caused Gabriella, disappointing his mom and dad and even the careless way he'd allowed himself to pursue Sharpay. He knew the lot of them deserved better.

He finally rolled off the bed and opened his door in a bid to find his parents so he could apologize. The entrance to the master bedroom was wide open, but the lights were off signaling no one was inside.

Troy pattered downstairs, sheepishly looking around each corner, unsure how upset his mother and father might be.

"Troy?"

Startled, he took several steps back, clutching his chest in surprise.

"Dad! Why are you sitting in the dark? You scared the crap out of me!" he huffed.

"I was just sitting here relaxing. Sorry if I startled you" Jack casually replied, reaching over to switch on a nearby lamp, a dim light cascading across the living room.

"What are you doing in here?" Troy asked, taking a seat on the opposite loveseat from the armchair his father rested in.

"Where's mom?"

"Outside in the garden."

Troy glanced out the paneled windows, noting a single light near the deck was lit and that the last flares of the sun were setting.

"It's dark out."

"She's having a glass of wine and taking in some 'me' time, I think" Jack provided.

The two sat in silence for some time.

"Troy, did I ever tell you about how your mother and I met?"

"Yeah- you two started dating junior year and got married halfway through college" Troy practically recited, having heard the story over and again growing up.

"But have I told you about how both your mother and I were seeing other people right before we got together?"

"No…"

"Your mom was dating our high school's star athlete. Chad Tanner was his name. Oh, he was the big guy on campus. Quarterback of the JV squad, his dad was a retired NFLer. Everyone knew he'd go pro after college" Jack mused.

"I was dating a girl I'd grown up with who lived in the neighborhood Molly Springer. I noticed your mother at one of the games, cheering on Chad. She looked radiant and I thought 'Man, she is _way_ out of your league, Jack.'"

Troy pulled up his legs to sit cross-legged on the couch, further soaking in the story.

"Once I finally talked to her, I knew I was a goner. We got along and kept it strictly platonic. Once we realized there was something more we ended it with both our partners."

"The thing is Troy, we could have carried on without anyone knowing had we wanted. In the long run, we knew the guilt would tear us apart before we ever had a real shot at being together if we jumped right into something before we were both single. Believe me, it tore me up inside on many occasion to see her with Chad at the Homecoming dance, or around school. But I can always look back and say once your mother and I _did_ start dating, we never looked back. At the time, maybe Molly and Chad weren't one hundred percent happy with us, but there was no bad blood and everyone could rest easy at night."

"Furthermore, there weren't any hurt feelings."

Jack looked at Troy pointedly with this last statement.

"Are you disappointed in me?"

"Are you disappointed in yourself?"

"Yeah, I mean… this isn't the way I meant for things to happen. It's embarrassing." Troy shrugged.

"My question for you is how are you going to positively move forward?"

"Well Gabriella never wants to speak to me again."

"She's upset. She'll come around."

"I don't think so", Troy shook his head, "she was pretty clear when she said she never wanted me to talk to her again."

"And this other young lady…"

"I really like her, dad. It's crazy and seems last-minute, and I'm not trying to excuse what I did, but I think I've always liked her in some way" Troy earnestly professed.

Jack smiled softly at the candid rapport. No, he wasn't happy about the circumstances, but he knew his son and Troy was not only remorseful but steadfast determined to learn from his mistakes.

Feeling slightly better and still owing his mother an apology, Troy stood.

"To answer your question earlier, no" Jack spoke.

Troy looked puzzled.

"No, I'm not disappointed in you. You're human and made a mistake. Part of becoming a man is to own up to your shortcomings and admit when you're wrong."

Troy grinned abashed at this, offering an appreciative head nod before exiting the room.

Walking through the laundry room, he opened the back door and stepped out to the terrace.

There he found his mother sitting upon one of the benches his father made, looking out across the backyard quietly lost in thought.

He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders in a bear hug.

"I'm sorry, Mama" he whispered.

Lucille smiled to herself, patting one of his arms.

"I know, Troy."

He clung to her tightly; content to rest his head against her shoulder.

The two stayed like this for several moments, Troy soundless and conveying the depth of his apology.

He rarely lost his temper and prided himself in the open communication he had with his parents. Their bond had been the envy of many of Troy's friends growing up, with even Chad expressing how he sometimes wished he was as chummy with his family.

He gently squeezed her a last time and she patted his hand in a gesture that let him know she forgave the earlier explosion.

* * *

Leaving his mother outside to finish her glass of white wine in peace, Troy left and made his way inside and upstairs to his room. He felt exhausted and just wanted to go back to sleep.

His cell screen lit up the moment he walked into the chamber, indicating a new text message. Sitting at the foot of his bed he read through the list of recipients.

**12:01PM**

_Danforth: How'd it go, man?_

**1:05PM**

_Danforth: Nevermind, got a call from Tay. Yikes._

**1:15PM**

_Danforth: Lemme know if you wanna grab that burger, k?_

**2:40PM**

_Zeke: Heard about you and Gabriella. Just wanted to say I'm sorry._

**3:35PM**

_Danforth: The guys want to go out for pizza at Lucia's- you comin?_

**4:29PM**

_Danforth: Troy. Pizza._

**4:45PM**

_Danforth: Pizzaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ._

**5:15PM**

_Zeke: Hey Troy, we're all going out for pizza. I can drop off something for you if you want me to order._

**6:00PM**

_Danforth: Lamesauce. You missed good eats. Text me if you're breathing._

**6:20PM**

_Zeke: We got you a pepperoni pizza and dropped it off with your mom. She said you were sleeping. See you tomorrow?_

**6:45PM**

_Jason: Did we have Chemistry homework?_

**7:22PM**

_Shar: Hi Troy, its Sharpay. I hope everything went okay and that you're doing all right._

Troy hastily provided a few replies.

_Chad: I'm breathing._

_Jason: Pages 45-49 in our textbooks._

_Zeke: Thanks man, let me know how much I owe you._

_Shar: I'm doing okay but pretty beat tbh. Can we talk tomorrow? How about I meet you at your locker during lunch period and we eat together?_

Sharpay replied and they set a time for their lunch date. With that, Troy turned his phone off for the evening, just wanting to block out the world and delay the impending start of the week for just a few more hours.

* * *

_AN- This chapter came out quicker than expected with many thanks to **Girolle**. I appreciate the feedback and it very much helped inspire a speedy follow-up._


End file.
